Simcoe's Raid

October, 1779

The dragoons of the Queens Rangers ride!

Lt. Colonel John Graves Simcoe
commanded the Queens Rangers, a Provincial unit of the British army.
It consisted of mounted dragoons and infantry, similiar to the
American "Lee's Legion", commanded by "Light Horse" Harry Lee.
Both the Queens Rangers and Lee's Legion happened to wear green uniform
coats. Simcoe, on this raid, was able for a while to pass his men
off as being part of Lee's Legion which had been operating in the
central Jersey area.
Simcoe mentions "Van Vacter's Bridge". This is Van
Veightons Bridge, now where a modern bridge crosses the Raritan river
between Manville and the Finderne section of Bridgewater. There
was no town of Manville or Finderne during the Revolution, and
the village of Middlebrook has been swallowed up by Bound Brook as it
grew. (See the page on the Middlebrook encampment) The Van Horn
house mentioned in the account still exists. Millstone was then
the county seat of Somerset County- then a fairly populous village.
Simcoe's men also set fire to the Dutch Reformed Church in
Millstone, but the building was saved. After the war, the county
court house was built on donated land east of the village of Raritan,
creating the town of Somerville.
The Richmond mentioned is the village in Staten Island, where the Queen's Rangers returned to after the raid.

The below is taken from Simcoe's Military Journal. A History Of The
Operations Of A Partisan Corps Called The Queen's Rangers, written by
Simcoe after the war.

There was a general rumour of an
intended attack on New-York. Lt. Col. Simcoe had information that fifty
flat-boats, upon carriages, capable of holding seventy men each, were
on the road from the Delaware to Washington's army, and that they had
been assembled to Van Vacter's bridge, upon the Rariton. He proposed to
the Commander in Chief to burn them.8 Sir Henry Clinton approved of his
plan, as did Earl Cornwallis, and directed it to be put into execution.
Colonel Lee, with his cavalry, had been at Monmouth: Sir Henry Clinton,
upon Lieut. Col. Simcoe's application to him for intelligence of this
corps, told him, that by the best information he had, Lee was gone from
that part of the country. There were no other troops in the vicinity:
the Jersey militia only, and those, tumultuously assembled at the
moment of the execution of the enterprise, could, possibly, impede it.
The coasts of Jersey had been the common receptacle of the disaffected
from Staten, Long, and York island, on the British troops taking
possession of them; of course, they were most virulent in their
principles, and, by the custom they had of attacking, from their
coverts, the British foraging parties, in 1776, and insulting
their very out-posts, they had acquired a great degree of
self-confidence, and activity. Lieut. Col. Simcoe's plan was, to burn
the boats with as much expedition as possible; to return, with silence,
to the heights beyond the town of Brunswick, before day; there to show
himself, to entice all who might follow him into an ambuscade; and if
he found that his remaining in the Jersies could effect any valuable
purpose, the Commander in Chief proposed to reinforce him. To execute
this purpose, he was to draw his cavalry from Jericho in Long Island,
by easy marches, to Staten Island; Stuart, an active and gallant man, a
native of New-Jersey, commanded some cavalry on that island: these were
to be added to him; and he requested ten guides: three hundred infantry
of the Queen's Rangers, with their artillery, were also to accompany
him. Two days were lost by a misunderstanding of the General's order:
the Huzzars, of the Queen's Rangers only, being sent from Jericho,
without Captain Sandford's troop, which was not merely necessary in
regard to numbers, but particularly wished for, as it was known that
Captain Sandford, when quarter-master of the guards, had frequently
been on foraging parties in the country he was to pass through. On the
25th of October, by eight o'clock at night, the detachment, which has
been detailed, marched to Billop's-point, where they were to embark.
That the enterprise might be effectually concealed, Lt. Col. Simcoe
described a man, as a rebel spy, to be on the island, and endeavouring
to escape to New-Jersey; a great reward was offered for taking
him, and the militia of the island were watching all the places where
it was possible for any man to go from, in order to apprehend him. The
batteaux, and boats, which were appointed to be at Billop's-point, so
as to pass the whole over by twelve o'clock at night, did not arrive
till three o'clock in the morning. No time was lost; the infantry of
the Queen's Rangers were landed: they ambuscaded every avenue to the
town; the cavalry followed as fast as possible. As soon as it was
formed, Lt. Colonel Simcoe called together the officers; he told them
of his plan, "that he meant to burn the boats at Van Vacter's bridge,
and crossing the Rariton, at Hillsborough, to return by the road to
Brunswick, and, making a circuit to avoid that place as soon as he came
near it, to discover himself when beyond it, on the heights where the
Grenadier Redoubt stood while the British troops were cantoned there,
and where the Queen's Rangers afterwards had been encamped; and to
entice the militia, if possible, to follow him into an ambuscade which
the infantry would lay for them at South-river bridge." Major Armstrong
was instructed to re-embark, as soon as the cavalry marched, and to
land on the opposite side of the Rariton, at South-Amboy: he was then,
with the utmost despatch and silence, to proceed to South-river bridge,
six miles from South-Amboy, where he was to ambuscade himself, without
passing the bridge or taking it up. A smaller creek falls into this
river on the South-Amboy side: into the peninsula formed by these
streams, Lieut. Col. Simcoe hoped to allure the Jersey militia. In case
of accident, Major Armstrong was desired to give credit to any
messenger who should give him the parole, of "Clinton and Montrose." It
was day-break before the cavalry left Amboy. The procuring of guides
had been by Sir Henry Clinton entrusted to Brigadier Skinner: he either
did not or could not obtain them, for but one was found who knew
perfectly the crossroad he meant to take, to avoid the main road from
Somerset-court house, or Hillsborough, to Brunswick. Captain Sandford
formed the advance guard, the Huzzars followed, and Stuart's men were
in the rear; making in the whole about eighty. A Justice Crow was soon
overtaken; Lt. Col. Simcoe accosted him roughly, called him "Tory," nor
seemed to believe his excuses, when in the American idiom for
courtship, he said "he had only been sparking," but sent him to the
rear guard, who, being Americans, easily comprehended their
instructions, and kept up the justice's belief that the party was a
detachment from Washington's army. Many plantations were now passed by,
the inhabitants of which were up, and whom the party accosted with
friendly salutations. At Quibletown, Lt. Col. Simcoe had just quitted
the advance guard to speak to Lieut. Stuart, when, from a public house
on the turn of the road, some people came out with knapsacks on their
shoulders, bearing the appearance of a rebel guard: Captain Sandford
did not see them till he had passed by, when, checking his horse to
give notice, the Huzzars were reduced to a momentary halt opposite the
house; perceiving the supposed guard, they threw themselves off their
horses, sword in hand, and entered the house. Lt. Col. Simcoe instantly
made them remount: but they were afraid to discover some thousand
pounds of paper-money which had been taken from a passenger, the master
of a privateer, nor could he stay to search for it. He told the man,
"that he would be answerable to give him his money that night at
Brunswick, where he should quarter;" exclaimed aloud to his party,
"that these were not the Tories they were in search of, although they
had knapsacks," and told the country people who were assembling around,
"that a party of Tories had made their escape from Sullivan's army, and
were trying to get into Staten Island, as Iliff (who had been defeated,
near this very spot, taken, and executed) had formerly done, and that
he was sent to intercept them:" the sight of Justice Crow would,
probably, have aided in deceiving the inhabitants, but, unfortunately,
a man personally knew Lt. Col. Simcoe, and an express was sent to
Governor Levingstone, then at Brunswick, as soon as the party marched.
It was now conducted by a country lad whom they fell in with, and to
whom Captain Sandford, being dressed in red, and without his cloak, had
been introduced as a French officer: he gave information, that the
greater part of the boats had been sent on to Washington's camp, but
that eighteen were at Van Vacter's bridge, and that their horses were
at a farm about a mile from it: he led the party to an old camp of
Washington's above Bound brook. Lt. Col. Simcoe's instructions were to
burn these huts, if possible, in order to give as wide an alarm to the
Jersies as he could. He found it impracticable to do so, they not being
joined in ranges, nor built of very combustible materials. He proceeded
without delay to Bound brook, from whence he intended to carry off Col.
Moyland, but he was not at Mr. Vanhorn's: two officers who had been ill
were there; their paroles were taken; and they were ordered to mark
"sick quarters" over the room door they inhabited, which was done; and
Mr. Vanhorn was informed, that the party was the advanced guard of the
left column of the army, which was commanded by General Birch, who
meant to quarter that night at his house; and that Sir H. Clinton was
in full march for Morris-town, with the army. The party proceeded to
Van Vacter's bridge: Lieut. Col. Simcoe found eighteen new flat-boats,
upon carriages; they were full of water. He was determined effectually
to destroy them. Combustibles had been applied for, and he received, in
consequence, a few port-fires; every Huzzar had a hand-grenade, and
several hatchets were brought with the party. The timbers of the boats
were cut through; they were filled with straw and railing, and some
grenades being fastened in them, they were set on fire: forty minutes
were employed in this business. The country began to assemble in their
rear; and as Lt. Col. Simcoe went to the Dutch-meeting, where the
harness, and some stores, were reported to be, a rifle-shot was fired
at him from the opposite bank of the river: this house, with a magazine
of forage, was now consumed, the commissary, and his people, being made
prisoners. The party proceeded to Somerset court-house, or
Hillsborough. Lt. Col. Simcoe told the prisoners not to be alarmed,
that he would give them their paroles before he left the Jersies; but
he could not help heavily lamenting to the officers with him, the
sinister events which prevented him from being at Van Vacter's bridge
some hours sooner, as it would have been very feasible to have drawn
off the flat-boats to the South river, instead of destroying them. He
proceeded to Somerset court-house; three Loyalists, who were prisoners
there, were liberated; one of them was a dreadful spectacle, he
appeared to have been almost starved, and was chained to the floor; the
soldiers wished, and it was permitted to burn the court-house: it was
unconnected with any other building, and, by its flames, showed on
which side of the Rariton he was, and would, most probably, operate to
assemble the neighborhood of Brunswick at its bridge, to prevent him
from returning by that road: the party proceeded towards Brunswick.
Alarm guns were now heard, and some shots were fired at the rear,
particularly by one person, who, as it afterwards appeared, being out a
shooting, and hearing of the incursion, had sent word to Governor
Levingstone, who was at Brunswick, that he would follow the party at a
distance, and every now and then give a shot, that he might know which
way they directed their march. Passing by some houses, Lt. Col. Simcoe
told the women to inform four or five people who were pursuing the rear
"that if they fired another shot, he would burn every house which he
passed." A man or two were now slightly wounded. As the party
approached Brunswick, Lieut. Col. Simcoe began to be anxious for the
cross road, diverging from it into the Prince-town road, which he meant
to pursue, and which having once arrived at, he himself knew the bye
ways to the heights he wished to attain, where having frequently done
duty, he was minutely acquainted with every advantage and circumstance
of the ground: his guide was perfectly confident that he was not yet
arrived at it; and Lt. Col. Simcoe was in earnest conversation with
him, and making the necessary enquiries, when a shot, at some little
distance, discovered there was a party in the front. He immediately
galloped thither; and he sent back Wright, his orderly serjeant, to
acquaint Captain Sandford "that the shot had not been fired at the
party," when, on the right at some distance, he saw the rail fence
(which was very high on both sides of the narrow road between two
woods) somewhat broken down, and a man or two near it, when putting his
horse on the canter, he joined the advance men of the Huzzars,
determining to pass through this opening, so as to avoid every
ambuscade that might be laid for him, or attack, upon more equal terms,
Colonel Lee, (whom he understood to be in the neighborhood, and
apprehended might be opposed to him,) or any other party; when he saw
some men concealed behind logs and bushes, between him and the opening
he meant to pass through, and he heard the words, "now, now," and found
himself, when he recovered his senses, prisoner with the enemy, his
horse being killed with five bullets, and himself stunned by the
violence of his fall. His imprisonment, the circumstances which
attended it, and the indelible impressions which it has made on his
memory, cannot, even at this distance, be repeated without the
strongest emotions: as they merely relate to personal history, they,
with his correspondence with Sir H. Clinton, Governor Levingstone, Col.
Lee, Gen. Washington, &c. &c. are referred to the appendix.

Lt. Col. Simcoe had no opportunity of
communicating his determination to any of his officers, they being all
with their respective divisions ready for what might follow upon the
signal shot of the enemy, and his resolution being one of those where
thought must go hand in hand with execution, it is no wonder,
therefore, that the party, who did not perceive the opening he was
aiming at, followed with the accelerated pace which the front, being
upon the canter, too generally brings upon the rear; they passed the
ambuscade in great confusion: three horses were wounded, and the men
made prisoners, two of them being also wounded. The enemy who fired
were not five yards off: they consisted of thirty men, commanded by
Mariner, a refugee from New York, and well known for his enterprises
with whale-boats. They were posted on the very spot which Lt. Col.
Simcoe had always aimed at avoiding. His guide misled him: nor was the
reason of his error the least uncommon of the sinister events which
attended this incursion. When the British troops quitted the camp at
Hillsborough, and marched to Brunswick, among other houses which
were unwarrantably burnt was the one which the guard relied upon, as
marking out the private road the party was to take: he knew not of its
being burnt, and that every vestige had been destroyed, so that he led
them unintentionally into the ambuscade; which when the party had
passed by on the full gallop, they found themselves on the high grounds
beyond the barracks at Brunswick. Here they rallied; there was little
doubt but Lt. Col. Simcoe was killed: the surgeon, (Mr. Kellock,) with
a white handkerchief, held out as a flag of truce, at the manifest risk
of his life, returned to enquire for him. The militia assembling,
Captain Sandford drew up, and charged them, of course, they fled: a
Captain Vorhees, of the Jersey Continental troops, was overtaken, and
the Huzzar, at whom he had fired, killed him. A few prisoners were
taken. Captain Sandford proceeded to the South river, the guides having
recovered from the consternation. Two militia-men only were met with
upon the road thither: they fired, and killed Molloy, a brave Huzzar,
the advance man of the party, and were themselves instantly put to
death. At South river the cavalry joined Major Armstrong; he had
perfectly succeeded in arriving at his post undiscovered, and,
ambuscading himself, had taken several prisoners. He marched back to
South-Amboy, and re-embarked without opposition, exchanging some of the
bad horses of the corps for better ones which he had taken with the
prisoners. The alarm through the country was general; Wayne was
detached from Washington's camp in the highlands, with the light
troops, and marched fourteen miles that night, and thirty the next day;
Colonel Lee, who was in Monmouth county, as it was said, fell back
towards the Delaware. The Queen's Rangers returned to Richmond that
evening: the cavalry had marched upwards of eighty miles, without
halting or refreshment, and the infantry thirty.